Solenoid operated actuator



Feb. 24, 1953 F. J'. VARGO SOLENOID OPERATED ACTUATQR Filed July 5, 1949 RR mm M or m m K /msd F7 d, j

Patented Feb. 24, 1953 SOLENOID OPERATED ACTUATOR Frank J. Vargo, University City, Mo., assignor to Alco Valve Company, University City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application July 5, 1949, Serial No. 103,109

1 Claim.

The present invention relates generally to the actuator art, and more particularly to a novel solenoid operated actuator for use with frequencies above sixty cycles per second.

In the present disclosure, the actuator is shown and described with a valve solely for the purposes of illustration, and it is to be understood that it is not limited to such usage.

In its preferred form, the actuator includes a yoke formed by spirally winding a strip of magnetic material, such as an alloy of iron and silicon, into a closed loop, the strip having low core loss and high permeability in the longitudinal or winding direction. A tubular member containing a laminated armature extends through opposed openings formed in the legs of the yoke, and a coil. is disposed around the tube within the confines of the yoke, the latter being of a size to fit closely around the coil whereby the flux path is of a minimum length and contains a minimum number of parts.

As is well known in the art, the eddy current and hysteresis losses in a magnetic core or yoke are proportional to the frequency. Consequently, a core or yoke which is to be used with frequencies in the neighborhood of four hundred cycles per second requires much more consideration in its design than does one which is to operate on the standard sixty-cycle frequency.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a solenoid operated actuator which has relatively low eddy current and hysteresis losses at frequencies above sixty cycles per second.

Another object is to provide a solenoid operated actuator containing a core or yoke having r latively high permeability in the direction of the flux path.

Another object is to provide a solenoid operated actuator containing a yoke made without using the standard type of steel punchings.

Another object is to provide a solenoid operated actuator containing a yoke formed by spirally winding an elongated strip of magnetic material into a closed loop.

Another object is to provide a solenoid operated actuator which has a relatively tight, short flux path containing a minimum number of parts.

Other ob'ects are to provide a solenoid operated actuator which is of simple and rugged construction, and which is relatively easy to assemble.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a solenoid operated actuator embodying the teachings of the present invention, shown used with a standard type of valve, the housings being broken away to show the manner of fastening the two members together;

Fig. 2 is a vertical, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, transverse, sectional view taken on the line 33 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the solenoid, as shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing more particularl by reference numerals, It] indicates generally a solenoid operated valve which comprises a valve bo y l2 and a solenoid operated actuator I4 constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

The solenoid operated actuator l4 includes a cylindrical cup-like housing l6 having a, side wall and a bottom wall 2! the latter containing a step-like opening 22. A cover 24 is removably secured to the upper end of the housing l6 by bolts 26.

Flanges 28 extend outwardly from the sid wall l8 at one side of the housing 16 and contain openings 30 for securing the unit to a fixed support.

A chamber 32 extends outwardly from the side wall [8 of the housing on the opposite side opposite to the flanges 28. It contains a large opening 34 which is closed with a removable cover 35, and opposed threaded openings 36 and 31 which are normal to the opening 34.

A body flange 38 (Fig. 4) which contains a cylindrical opening 49 in its center smaller than the opening 22 is removably secured to the bottom wall 20 of the housing l6 by bolts 42. The bottom of the body flange 38 contains a cylindrical step-like projection 43, and the upper surface of the flange contains a cylindrical recess 44, both being concentric with the opening 40.

The lower end of a vertically extending cylindrical tube-like member 46 is secured in the opening 40 as by welding or brazing.

A plug member 48 having a threaded stud-like portion 56 extending upwardly therefrom is fixedly positioned in the top of the tube-like member 46.

A gasket 52 is disposed about the tube-like member 46 in the recess 44 between the housing I6 and the body flange 38.

A bottom cylindrical bushing 54 havin a stepped body portion 56 is disposed about the tube-like member 45, the bottom portion 56 bein positioned in the step-like opening 22.

A lower coil sleeve 58 is disposed about the tube-like member 46 on top of the bottom bushing 54. I

A square-shaped, spirally wound yoke 60 having opposed cylindrical openings 62 and 64 formed in its upper and lower portions, respectively, is disposed on the tube to, the latter protruding upwardly through the opening t t and (SE. The yoke 60 is built up by spirally winding striplike magnetic alloy, such as iron and silicon, into the form shown. The material used has a low core loss and high permeability in the longitudinal or winding direction, which is also the direction of the magnetic flux path.

An upper coil sleeve 66 having a flanged upper portion is disposed around the tube 18 and in the opening 62.

A coil 68 and a coil supporting bobbin It are disposed about the tube within the area defined by the yoke 69, the coil windings lying in planes normal to the axis of the tube 46.

A cylindrical shape-cl top bushing 12 is dispose around the tube Q6 and on top of the upper coil sleeve 68.

A retaining washer '14 containing an opening 16 in the center thereof is dis osed around the stud above the bushing "12, and a nut 18 is disposed upon the stud at above the washer 14 so as to maintain the above enumerated parts in their assembled positions.

A laminated armature 89 containing a longitudinal passage 82 t-l'icrethrough is slidably disposed Wlthin the tube 55.

An elongated rod-like valve member 8t, inch ding a stem portion 86 and an enlarged body portion 88, has its portion 83 slidably mounted in the passage 82. upper end. the stem portion 86 contains a threaded. portion 90- having a nut 92 removably disposed thereon. The lower end of the body portion 88 is conical in. shape for a purpose to appear.

As shown in terminal blocks 34 containing terminal stud assemblies 96 are mounted on the side wall 18 within the chamber 32.

The valve body l2 (Fig. 2) which is rcmovabiy fastened to the solenoid actuator i i by bolts 98 (Fig. 1) includes an upwardly extending tubular portion 06 which contains an annular groove H12 in the upper end thereof..

An annular gasket le t is disposed in the groove l I02 between the valve body 12 and the lower end of the body flange 38.

As shown in Fig. 2, the valve body 52 also contains an inlet chamber H16, an outlet chamber I08, and a valve seat [it therebetween for coopr oration with the conical shaped lower end of the valve member 84.

Operation With the coil 68 deenergized, the weight of the armature Bil bearing against the upper shoulder of the body portion to maintains the conical portion of the valve member at in contact with the valve seat Hi].

When the coil E8 is energized, magnetic flux flows through the armature and the magnetic circuit comprising the tube 4 5, the yoke '69 and the upper and lower sleeves 55 58, respectively. Because the tube "it is substantially nonmagnetic, only a relatively small portion of the magnetic flux is diverted from the armature 8!). Furthermore, of the minimum number of members in the flux and the fact that the path is relatively short, and because the strip from which the yoke cc and armature 80 is made has high permeability in its longitudinal direc tion, which is also the direction of the flux path, the construction has relatively low core loss and high permeability.

when the magnetic flux flows through the armature 80, the latter is lifted upwardly against the nut Q2, thereby causing the valve member 84 to move upwardly and away from the valve seat H0.

Because of the relatively large mass of the laminated armature and the high frequency of reversal of the magnetic flux, there is no chattering problem.

When the coil 68 is deenergized, the armature 80 drops downwardly, thereby striking the shoulder at the upper end of the body portion 88 of the valve member 8 1, causing the conical shaped lower end of the body portion 88 to engage the valve seat H0.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided a novel solenoid operated actuator for use with frequencies above sixty cycles per second which has a relatively low core loss and high permeability, which is simple and rugged in corn struction, and which is relatively easy to assemble.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given only by way of illustration and example, and that changes and alteration in the present disclosure, which will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

In a device of the type described, in combination, an upwardly extending tube-like member having a closure member at the upper end thereof which contains an upwardly extending stud-like portion; a coil disposed around the tube-like member; a magnetic yoke containing opposed openings disposed on said tube-like member and surrounding said coil, said yoke comprising an elongated strip-like member spirally wound into a continuous loop, the upper end of the tube-like member extending through one of said openings; a sleeve-like member slidably disposed on the upper end of said tube-like member above the yoke, the upper end of said sleeve-like member extending above the upper end of the tube-like member; a disc-like member containing an opening therein disposed on the stud-like portion above the sleeve-like member; and removable retaining means adjacent the end of the studlike member maintaining the disc-like member against the upper edge of the sleeve-like member.

FRANK J. VARGO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 663,346 Johnson et a1. Dec. 4, 1900 2,096,763 Ray Oct. 26, 1937 2,146,930 Bassett Feb. 14, 1939 2,269,398 tte Oct. 28, 1941 2,291,599 Ray Aug. 4, 1942 2,324,642 Peterson July 20,. 1-943 2,383,411 Obszarny Aug. 21, 1945 2,423,869 Blessing July 15, 1947 2,467,489 McClain Apr. 19, 1-949 2,582,351 Olson Jan. 15-, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 7,856 England May 10, 1889 349,203 France May 17, 1905 624,241 Germany Apr. 16, 1932 

